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New is not always the most comfortable thing in the world. New clothes, a new vehicle, or visiting somewhere new all can be exciting and adventurous. But many times when it comes down to stepping into the unknown, or trying something new, nausea doesn’t even begin to describe the churning taking place within us.

Nearing the completion of our first full month of offering fitness opportunities to the Tupelo area, I have observed person after person step through our doors having no idea what to expect. I’ve heard questions from, “Can I actually do this?” to “Am I too old or out of shape to even attempt changing things?” Some have said, “Financially, I’ve never been able to afford boot camps or personal training.” I’ve even had the conversation, “Well, I’ve tried before and just have never been able to stay committed.” It is with great joy that I have been able to witness firsthand the accomplishments of those that started out with questions, but began to find the answers with each passing day.

I’m now hearing statements like: “I never knew I could do this.” “I feel so much better (after the soreness wears off, of course).” “I’m having so much fun.”

Having recently moved ‘home’ from the Nashville area, I wrestled initially with whether or not to go through the process of opening a facility for training. While I was returning to a familiar place and surroundings, it felt ‘new’. And remember, new can sometimes be a bit scary. With the encouragement and support from my wife, we decided to walk through the door. I had no idea whether anyone would show up. And then, if they did show up, would they come back again? As I type these words, I am overwhelmed with emotion as I think about the answers that many have found over this past month.

To see the husband and wife work out together while their child watches from the other room…to see the mom show her son that taking care of yourself is a priority…to see friends encourage one another through accountability and ‘friendly’ competition…I have discovered that stepping into the ‘NEW’ was so worth it.

I tell every one of our clients the toughest part is just stepping into the room. No matter how sore, tired, or stressed you are…just step in the room. Every day, there is something new awaiting.

On the first day of August, why not step through the door to something new? Words like commitment, accomplishment, health, confidence, and FUN might just be waiting on the other side.

To every person who has put yourself in our care, we are truly grateful. Our desire is to provide a safe, effective, and fun environment for each person to experience success. If this first month is any indication, I can’t imagine what August is going to hold. Thank you for letting us walk the path with you.

For pricing information on any of our services, feel free to message us from Facebook, Twitter, or Email. There is no time like the first of the month to step through the door. All sorts of fun events are planned for the fall season, and we don’t want you to miss a thing.

There are so many moments in our lives where we feel like we are not understood. Have you ever found yourself in conversation with someone, and then all of a sudden you realize that person’s attention is off to something else?

I’ve wondered many times what would have happened if I had asked them to repeat back to me what I just said. But I’ll be honest, there have been times in my own life when I’m glad that person didn’t ask me to do the same.

In the personal training world, everything is built on rapport. The dictionary definition is: a close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other’s feelings or ideas and communicate well.

It has been said if you find a job you love to do, then you will never ‘work’ a day in your life. It is that something which causes you to enjoy doing your job each day, looking forward to the next. That being said, in reality, every job includes people. You are either working alongside them, or providing a service to them. No matter how much you might want to avoid them, people are everywhere…and another important note; people are human.

People have issues. They have good days and bad, and aren’t perfect. But guess what? That includes us. I can’t help but believe that if we all spent a little more time on building our everyday lives on rapport, we might realize that we are not just working a job, but are actually fulfilling our calling.

I was reminded of this a week ago during our Boot Camp for HomeSchool Kids. In the midst of over 20 kids enjoying spring-time temperatures, there was an 8 year old who wanted to take just 2 minutes to tell me about something that had happened to him the previous week. He only wanted me to pray for him this upcoming week.

Sure, we were on a quick water break, and, yes, there were kids running in every direction. Quite honestly, my mind was racing ahead in preparation for the next activity. However, in that moment, everything stopped. All this little guy needed was simply two minutes of focused attention on what he had to say.

I wish I could declare I’ve done this every single time the opportunity presented itself, but it wouldn’t be true. Quite honestly, I would love to go back and get some do-overs. The important thing is what I do from this day forward.

For me as a personal trainer, it is not just about listening to individuals in order to help them get toned or reach athletic performance goals; it is in focused-listening so I can understand them. Because when I understand them, it shows I genuinely care. And believe me, people can tell the difference.

This makes me wonder, what would happen in our world if every single person decided they didn’t have to get up and go to ‘work’ tomorrow, but instead got to go out and care about people?

Two of the most popular reasons for individuals wanting to get more physically active is: a: To lose a few pounds, or b. To tone their frame up {especially with the summer season on the way}. As with most anything in life, it is imperative to have that goal or those certain milestones along the path to get where you desire to be.

We have all seen the pictures of those ‘certain ones’ who want the upper body to be in superb shape, yet they despise leg day and have made the decision to skip it. They treat their lower body as if no one is ever going to get past how big their biceps are to see how disproportionate their body is.
The same could be said about the core. You know, that area that requires sit ups, crunches, planks, and toe touches {to name a few}. Rarely do I ever have a client say, “thank you coach for having me do Russian Twists. May I do a few more?!” For some reason though, I’ve never heard anyone complain when the 6 Pack begins to show up, or that pair of pants they were unable to get in to suddenly fit.

Some statistics say that 70% of abs are made in the kitchen, while just 30% are made in the gym. In other words, you can do as many sit ups that you want; but if you choose to feed junk into your system all day, all of your hard work will be in vain. With this reality, that brings our minds and hearts into focus.What we chooseto put in will most certainly be the thing that shows outwardly. The question for today is, What is at your core? Working with sports specific athletes, when they realize that their core musculature system is the driving force behind just about every movement they encounter, major changes begin to happen.
This principle applies to us in every walk of life. When you investigate what is at your core, it is remarkable the changes that begin to take place.

Athletes are working on speed and agility, which naturally affects their response time to get to the spot on the court or the fieldquicker than their opponent. Life is the exact same way. When you choose not to spend time on your core values – your core beliefs – the things that matter most, then your opponent {whatever or whoever it may be} will always have the upper hand.

Take a few moments everyday and work on your core. Who or whatever your opponent is, make up in your mind to beat it/them to the spot. You will never be disappointed when the results show up.

I read a statement recently that said, “It’s not who you are that holds you back. . .it’s who you THINK you are.”

I observe this on a daily basis with my sports-specific athletes as they grind through speed, agility, and strength movements. I hear it when talking with potential new clients as we discuss their age, weight, or lack of physical activity in the past. And then it becomes even more evident after the first few days in the start of their process toward physical health.

I ask the question “Why today?” almost immediately of someone who comes to me for accountability and assistance in reaching their fitness goals. “What was the one ‘thing’ that caused you to decide,‘Today is the day’?”

The reason I ask this is to find out what the motivational factor was for them in making the choice to change today. I want to understand because this road to health and wellness is not one to be entered into haphazardly. More often than not, it’s the road-less-travelled.

Think about it for a moment: How many times have we made the decision to change things, only to find ourselves falling out of our new routine after just a few weeks?

This journey toward authentic health and physical fitness is not proved by how many ‘burpees’ you can do, or how many pull-up’s you can complete. {Although there’s nothing wrong with these activities.} But let’s not forget about the other ‘muscle’ that matters when you are deciding to make a change. It’s the muscle that lies right between your ears…your mind.

That’s the reason I ask “Why today?”, because your answer is what’s going to carry you through when your body doesn’t want to do another repetition. It will be the ‘thing’ you turn to when the late-night cravings show up. According to statistics, 70% of individuals who begin a fitness plan give up. But when you know the answer to this question, you will no longer be included in that 70%. Not this time.

I’ve learned that everyone has a story. So when we have reached the end of our journey, what story will our life have revealed to the generation behind us?

And if you are discouraged by the chapters you’ve written so far, let me ask you, “Why not today?”

We are quickly approaching the moment when resolutions are made to change something that we desire to be better at. With each dawn of a New Year, we write down, tweet, or even get friends/family to hold us accountable to the commitments we make.

One of the top resolutions made each year is a commitment to health and physical fitness, yet this is one of the first resolutions broken. It’s like the old saying, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” Eating right, working out, and gaining confidence is not an easy process, and the barriers placed before every individual can feel impossible to overcome at times.

It may sound elementary, but I have found I tend to stick with things I enjoy. It is not a difficult decision for me to continue when I actually look forward to something. I call it my pre-vacation attitude. You know the feeling you get just before going on that special trip you have been planning for months? You can’t wait to relax, not worry about anything, and just be free to do what you want.

When I made the decision to become a personal trainer, this pre-vacation attitude is something I wanted to bring to those I am privileged to help. For when you enjoy something, you can’t wait to do it again. I’ve spoken with many who shared the dread they felt whenever it was time to go to the gym. Others mentioned that after a few weeks, they simply lost motivation because they were not seeing the results they were hoping for. In both of these scenarios, I’ve often wondered, “Where is any sign of enjoyment in those statements?”

Whether you are an athlete grinding through off-season workouts, or an adult desiring to drop a few pounds, the point of the process is to find something that will make your experience unforgettable.

On stressful days, instead of lounging on the couch with sad movies and ice cream, you would be amazed at what a 30-minute or hour workout would do for your system. Learning that new movement, or being a few numbers down on the scale the next time you step on it could be that confidence boost you have longed for.

Everyone has that ‘something’ that is the go-to for enjoyment, and at United Fitness, we understand that every athlete and every individual is different. We desire nothing more than to take something you enjoy and bring it to a whole new level.

For Sport Specific Athletes: Our Speed | Strength | Agility program is built upon the individual needs of the person. We want our athletes to enjoy the ‘process of preparation’ as much as they enjoy playing in the games themselves.
For Personal Training clients: We realize the time and effort that goes into making this a part of your daily routine. You not only face the physical challenges of the workouts, but the mental side of things as well. Not everyday will you feel like going and putting yourself through the process. This is why we stress the process of fitness becomes the ‘pre-vacation’ attitude side of things. Embrace the packing; Embrace the preparation; for we are simply putting things together for a life-changing event that is always out in front of us.

For Christmas this year, why not give yourself or someone you love the gift of
Personal Training.
We have several package options for you to choose from that would assist in meeting whatever personal goals you desire to reach. If there is anything we can do to help, do not hesitate to contact us at the information listed below. We are presently training at
Optimum 650 Personal Training Studio, located conveniently in the Cool Springs area. We have a few openings available for Baseball Players that are preparing for the upcoming season. By enrolling them now, we can prepare them to be a step ahead by the time Spring practice begins. Group training is also available. There are also a few time slots available for individual personal training, and we would be honored to walk the journey toward physical health and wellness with you.

On behalf of the United Fitness family, thank you for making these past seven months in Nashville such an incredible time. We wish to you and your family a Merry Christmas and the very best this Holiday Season.

As I look back over this past month, it has been amazing to see all the changes that have taken place not only for United Fitness itself, but also for our clients.

We have been so excited to welcome new athletes and adults each week to our family, while also seeing major changes in the lives of clients who have been with us since our beginning.

One client sent us a message this past week that they are within 10lbs of their Thanksgiving goal set a few months back. Without question, it is a true testament to what hard work and commitment can do for those who endure the process.

The effort that our athletes have put in to the workouts over the last month have been next level. Each session brings changes that are thrilling to be a part of. Many of them are just coming out of a fall season, but have wasted no time jumping right in to prepare for the next one.

Season’s change.

At present, we are in the middle of a beautiful fall season in Nashville while at the same time preparing for winter. Changes are inevitable, not only in the changing of the seasons, but also with our bodies. We are either getting stronger or weaker. We are either getting faster or a step behind.

Preparation is the key. Just as you prepare for the seasons as they change, it is just as vital to prepare the body for the changes of life as they come. Working and training for something is the opposite of hoping for it. If you believe in it with all your heart, then work for it with all your might. (Marc Chernoff)

What an incredible week it has been with our sport specific athletes, homeschool boot campers, and our online clients. We have witnessed incredible strides made by our athletes during each session. To see them tenaciously prepare for their upcoming seasons is such an inspiring thing to be a part of.

Here are a couple pictures and video of a couple of our younger athletes in action:

The homeschool boot campers got the week kicked off by working on their balance and agility. We ran specific drills that focused on the ability to react to instruction, while at the same time working on their core stabilization. We mixed in a whole lot of fun and laughter as well. A few slots are still available if you, or someone you know lives near the Spring Hill – Thompson Station, TN areas, and would like for their students to participate.

Our week was made on Wednesday as we heard from one of our new online clients. During earlier assessments, her hard work has been paying off as she has dropped several pounds along the way. This past week she was weighed again, and has lost another four pounds in just one week. WE LOVE TO CELEBRATE THESE WINS WITH OUR CLIENTS. Hard work and commitment truly does pay off. It is just one step closer to the goal she has set for herself.

Enjoying this process with each of our clients makes us fall in love more and more with what we are privileged to do. We have met so many who simply need an accountability partner that will help them commit to the process and walk the road toward health with them. It is great to be around individuals who are developing that inward motivation to accomplish things they never thought possible.

From the very first day we began, it has been our desire to BELIEVE BIG, but START SMALL. Whether you are an athlete trying to get stronger, faster, and more agile, or someone just wanting to be able to get out and get active, we can help. We understand the commitment it takes to get there . . . BELIEVE BIG and don’t be afraid to start with what you have. Six months from now, BIG dreams can become reality.